Over the next seven weeks Christine Avanti, celebrity nutritionist, chef and author of Skinny Chicks Don’t Eat Salads will be giving you slim down tips as we count down to an ULTRA LEAN SUMMER.

FAMILY DINNERS CAN HELP YOU SLIM DOWN! According to research, eating dinner as a family on a regular basis has some substantial health benefits. While dining together family bonds become stronger, children are more secure and confident, family members eat more nutrition packed meals, and everyone is less likely to be overweight. Given these positive benefits, I must encourage everyone reading this blog to PLEASE make an effort to cook and dine together as a family as often as possible. For the last 30 years, we've stopped having family dinners and we've eaten many of our meals on the road or from take out. And look what has happened to our country - we've got an obesity epidemic. A recent study showed that families that didn't sit for dinner together were at much higher risk for obesity. The time is now to get back to the family dinner. The number one complaint I hear from clients is that they are too busy to have dinner as a family. My response: PLANNING AND TEAMWORK!

2) Enlist the entire family to help in the meal and kitchen preparation. Prepping the food, setting the table, washing the cooking utensils as you are preparing the meal. Become a delegator; maybe your son or daughter can’t chop vegetables but they can help you by washing the veggies before you chop them.

3) Prepare quick and simple meals by grilling or using frozen seafood such as frozen shrimp (takes only 2 minutes to defrost).

4) Say grace before you eat. This will help slow you down and put everything into perspective. Prayer before meal time helps us to shift the focus from feeling rushed to feeling grateful, peaceful and self controlled.

Kathie Lee and Hoda from the Today Show's 4th Hour went on TV without Make-up one day this week. They wanted to stress how much pressure women are under to look perfect.
How have people reacted when you don't wear make-up???
Here Jonny Diaz's video of "More Beautiful You" to remind of what true beauty is in God's eyes...